Timex 5B501 Speed + Distance Watch

My new watch. (EDIT: ~$150) It comes with a GPS unit that I can strap to my arm or clip to my shorts.

My guess? I'm never going to get up to 26.5 mph. :)

Running journal, Friady, 2006-03-31

Running journal, Friady, 2006-03-31
Resting heart rate: 84 bpm (15 second test)
Day: Friday
Date: 2006-03-31
Weather: overcast, rainy
Temp: 15.56 C (61 F)
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a
Comments: Rest day. My heart rate is super-high today. :o Woke up with eight hours sleep from vivid dreams. Bit nervous about it, actually. My weight is the lowest it's been recently too, but I haven't eaten anything today yet. Long run tomorrow of 15 miles. Decided to go for it, since I was only off running for about 12 days. Scheduled for 17-18 miles, but am playing it conservative. This is a bit aggressive, but my foot looks good (stopped applying bandages) and I want to see what I can do. Also -- I have a standing invite to walk a family's collie on Sundays. :) This makes the walk more enjoyable. I love pets, but cannot have one at my home. Also -- Mary Button of raceready.com says she wears a Timex Ironman Triathalon which counts seconds after an hour has elapsed, which is what I need.
Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: n/a
Total Distance For Year: 284.3 km (173.7 mi)
Weight (after run): 76.6 kg (168.9 lbs)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: none
Foods eaten today: Irish Breakfast tea, Mac & Cheese, ramen noodles with soycatash, soy milk, pickles

Running journal, Thursday, 2006-03-30

Running journal, Thursday, 2006-03-30
Resting heart rate: n/a (forgot)
Day: Thursday
Date: 2006-03-30
Weather: overcast
Temp: 15.56 C (60 F)
Time: 15:20-16:05
Terrain: flat
Comments: Slow walk. Humid air. Overcast. Usual cast of characters out in the woods. Some crows said hi as I passed. There is a calm brown and white pigeon that never attempts to flee that lives near the place where the fishers stand in the water. Second time I have seen it. Smell of humid plants and dirt as I walked through the woods was refreshing. A park ranger passed me in his truck and we exchanged waves, my sense of community for the walk. Four women joggers passed me, one with a baby stroller, talking. Noticed an installation of a portable toilet near the camp area just past the mile 21 marker. Something must be going on this weekend. The water control people were sampling the water with a containment truck today. As I re-crossed the bridge, a co-ed group of youths got a few honks from the truck as it drove away. They exclaimed "That guy just made my day" to me as they passed, and we shared a laugh. :) There is a guy with a white car and the bumper sticker "Dog is my co-pilot" that is down by the river every time I go down there. I see him sleeping in his car sometimes. Yesterday a rooster was standing outside his car door and when I returned it was still there, so he must have fed it. I am thinking he is living out of his car.
Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 3.39 km (2.1 mi)
Total Distance For Year: 284.3 km (173.7 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=93043
Weight (after run): 78.2 kg (172.43 lbs)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Felt minor tension behind my right knee
Foods eaten today: frosted mini-wheats and soy milk, Clif Bar, Irish Breakfast tea

Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season Five

Finished season five. Thought they kept the tension about Glory's invincibility high throughout the season. Some laughable moments -- the fleeing Winnebago chased by armored knights. High camp. I also found amusing the bit where people just forget about the Ben-Glory switcheroo after seeing it. Loved Olaf the violent, keg-drinking troll. :) The sub-plot of Spike being in love with Buffy is weird. Vampires can love, but it seems to me that soul-less vampires cannot stop their evil, chip or no chip. The season finale where Buffy sacrifices herself to save her sister was moving.

The Body is one of the most powerful depictions about sudden death, shock, and grief I have ever watched. Very moving.

Favorite episodes: The Body, Family, Fool for Love, Triangle, The Gift

Favorite quote, from "Intervention": When Spike makes the Buffy-bot, it says in a smiling, enthusiastic voice, "I am not a robot."

Also, in "Triangle" when they are fighting the troll Olaf in the Bronze, it taunts Buffy by saying, "What are you fighting for miniscule blond one?" Love it.

Running journal, Wednesday, 2006-03-29

Running journal, Wednesday, 2006-03-29
Resting heart rate: n/a (forgot)
Day: Wednesday
Date: 2006-03-29
Weather: overcast
Temp: 17.78 C (64 F)
Time: 12:45-13:30
Terrain: flat
Comments: Toss up whether or not to run 45 minutes or 2.5 hours today. Decided to only run 45 minutes because I did not prepare properly. First half felt boring, but the second half I felt strong, running faster and breaking out of recovery run mode. Remembered Galloway's recommendation that too light a work-out is not challenging enough.
Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 6.45 km (4.0 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=93032
Total Distance For Year: 281.0 km (171.6 mi)
Weight (after run): 78.2 kg (172.43 lbs)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: black bean chili and cheddar cheese, soy milk, ramen noodles, mixed vegetables, blueberries and soy milk, green olives

Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season Four

Finished season four last night. The whole Initiative plot seemed a bit over-the-top to me, but I think everyone acted it well. The lesbian sub-plot with Tara surprised me. It was foreshadowed in season three, in "Doppelgängland" when at the end they say that Willow's lesbian vampire twin reflected her own nature. They never showed any actual intimacy between them though, probably because of pushing the limits for 1999. :P

My question leading into season five is -- Why did Tara hide the dust during Willow's spell which would have revealed the locations of the demons in Sunnydale? Since Tara is on the cover of the fifth season DVD, I am guessing this is going to become more important. Also the cryptic bit at the end of the season finale: "You think you know. What's to come. What you are. You haven't even begun."

Favorite episodes: Superstar, Hush, Restless.

Favorite quote:

Willow: Well, [Giles] says he's enjoying being a gentleman of leisure.
Buffy: Gentleman of leisure? Isn't that just British for unemployed?
Willow: Uh uh. He's a slacker now.

Although a close second is Buffy looking down on the vampires who stole her stuff in "The Freshman" and exclaiming, "Mr. Gordo!" at their treatment of her stuffed pig, :)

Another favorite quote:

"She goes into In Charge Slayer mode, announcing that she's going to make that demon pay for that boy's life. Then she looks down at herself. "That probably would have sounded more commanding if I wasn't wearing my 'Yummy Sushi' pajamas."

Running journal, Tuesday, 2006-03-28

Running journal, Tuesday, 2006-03-28
Resting heart rate: n/a (forgot)
Day: Tuesday
Date: 2006-03-28
Weather: overcast
Temp: n/a
Time: 15:15-16:00
Terrain: flat
Comments: Took my portuguese book with me on today's walk, and I think I picked up a few pointers on the language usage. Walked straight into a family of feeding wild turkeys. :) One had their feathers in the half-circle plumage, while the others bobbed their heads as the walked from spot to spot, scratching and poking at things they found. They did not seem to notice me, even though I was upwind. After waiting a few minutes, they moved across the road and I walked past them. Dark sky today, several thunderstorms moved through the area, so the sunlight poking through the clouds highlighted objects with a glow against the sky. I feel back in the rhythm of training again.
Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 3.44 km (2.13 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=88714
Total Distance For Year: 274.5 km (167.6 mi)
Weight (after run): 77.8 kg (171.5 lbs)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: frosted shredded mini-wheat cereal, soy milk

Running journal, Monday, 2006-03-27

Running journal, Monday, 2006-03-27
Resting heart rate: 65 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Monday
Date: 2006-03-27
Weather: overcast
Temp: n/a
Time: 15:50-16:45
Terrain: flat
Comments: First run since foot surgery two weeks ago. Felt tired the first 15 minutes or so and then it felt ok again. I can tell I'm not where I was two weeks ago in terms of endurance. Saw a family of quail run across the trail. :) Saw a black cat near the hole in the fence near the fish hatchery. After I passed it rolled over onto its back. :) Saw a woman approaching on the return and was looking to my right when I tripped on a lip in the pavement and nearly did a face-plant into the ground. Recovered in time, but felt embarrassed. :P Ran all the way to the water fountain. Water was higher than I remember from two weeks ago.
Time: 55 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 7.26 km (4.5 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=88697
Total Distance For Year: 270.1 km (165.5 mi)
Weight (after run): 77.2 kg (170.2 lbs)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today:

Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season Three

Finished season three last night. Several scenes moved me: the Master killing Buffy in the alternate reality where she never comes to Sunnydale; Angel's decision to fight for good rather than destroy himself; the class recognizing Buffy as Class Protector on prom night; Angel's break-up with Buffy.

The Zeppo was one of my favorite episodes from season three, where we see Zander foil a plot while the other cast members re-close the Hellmouth. It was weird jumping back to disc one to see her summer life and then jumping forward to disc five to watch the finale with Faith and The Mayor. Tried watching disc one downstairs, but it failed in the DVD player my house-mate purchased, so back upstairs to my laptop and monitor.

Realized I missed the Doppelgängland episode, and watched it. :P It explains how Faith got the apartment as well as how Willow comes to know Percy, and the shot of Willow in the intro.

Running journal, Friday, 2006-03-24

Running journal, Friday, 2006-03-24
Resting heart rate: not available (forgot)
Day: Friday
Date: 2006-03-24
Weather: overcast, light rain showers, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 15.56 C (60 F)
Time: 15:30-17:30
Terrain: flat
Comments: First walk since the foot surgery. :) Walked with Lanna today and felt rejuvenated as I gained the sense of community I have not had for the last runs. Brought my umbrella and camera with me. We saw swallowtail butterflies, which Lanna thought was exceptional this early in the year. I enjoyed walking with a friend. The trails were lush and the air was humid from the rain. Rain droplets remained on the plants and rocks, giving everything a wet look. Usual cast of characters for animal sightings, although Lanna pointed out the killdeer, sandpiper, and other birds I can't remember the name of. We met a male and female mallard relaxing in a deep along the trail. They flew for cover as we attempted to go around them. I thought it would be fun to get a job involving a canoe to clean up the trash along the shore. Not sure the state pays for that kind of work. Not a lot of people on the trail due to the showers. Said hi to the joggers who passed us and enjoyed their reciprocation. Talked about many things, and had the realization that perhaps I would enjoy working on software for the field of education. A job helping people learn combined with my enjoyment of working with data. For the first time since last fall, I have an idea that seems worth following-up with.
Time: 120 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 8.39 km (5.2 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=81779
Total Distance For Year: 262.8 km (161.0 mi)
Weight (after run): 78.8 kg (173.75 lbs)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Wound from foot surgery not feeling strong enough for high-impact, but felt fine enough for two hour walk.
Foods eaten today: can of fruit, banana, soy milk, Super Nut Burger, angel hair spaghetti with garden-vegetable marinara sauce, sliced carrots, and bread

Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season Two

Finished season two last night. Watched disc two first since it arrived for pick-up before the others. Sleep deprivation on Monday evening did not help improve my first impression of season two. I felt this sinking feeling in my stomach after watching "Reptile Boy" that my expectation of season two being as good as season one was not going to be met.

Happily, the rest of the season made up for that initial shock. Darker, much darker, bottom-of-the-ocean darker than season one. Low-budget camp replaced with moderate-budget noir. Sort of like dark chocolate. More bitter than what I expected, but I still enjoyed the taste.

Caught one amusing gaff -- in "School Hard," as Spike raids Sunnydale High, we see his reflection in a mirror to the right as he walks down the hallway (approximately 29:30).

My question leading into season three is -- What's the deal with the principal mentioning the mayor every time the cops show up?

Watched all of season two using my laptop and 19" monitor due to scratched discs. I noticed the later discs had fewer scratches. Cautiously optimistic that I can watch season three downstairs on the big screen television. Not sure if later seasons on DVD will have a greater or fewer number of scratches. ;)

Healing and Revised Marathon Schedule

Thinking about light walking on Monday. I am hoping I will feel strong enough to run by this time next Sunday.

Galloway states training interruptions of less than 14 days mean a return to normal mileage in two to three weeks.

I think this week my foot will be strong enough to run. So that means about 10 days not running. So:

Sat, Mar 25: 8 miles
Sat, Apr 1: 17 miles
Sat, Apr 8: 10 miles
Sat, Apr 15: 20 miles
Sat, Apr 22: 5K race
Sat, Apr 29: 9 miles
Sat, May 6: 23 miles
Sat, May 13: 5K race
Sat, May 20: 10 miles
Sat, May 27: 26 miles
Sat, Jun 3: 5K race
Sat, Jun 10: 10 miles
Sat, Jun 17: Grandma's Marathon

This seems reasonable. Am feeling concerned about that 17 mile run on Apr 1, because that represents an endurance extender for me, a to-date longest run. Extra walk breaks, proper hydration and fueling, and taking it real slow will help mitigate problems.

Will continue to think about the risk/distance ratio this week as I monitor my foot. Running eight miles this Saturday might be too aggressive, and if so, I will have to make up the distance later. I am feeling pretty optimistic based on how my foot feels this evening that I will be running by Saturday though.

Laser Printer Paper

My HP LaserJet 4500DN routinely curls-up the 20-lb. Multi-Purpose Paper I have been feeding it. The paper ends-up not guiding into the fuser properly, bringing the printer to a loud, electronically-buzzing, full-on 13.01.00-error halt. This might happen four times during a nine-page job, especially when using the duplexer. I bought a ten-ream box of the 20-lb. Georgia-Pacific paper in the late 1990's, and I still have four reams left in my printer stand. :P

Tonight I tried feeding my printer 28-lb. Paper, and no problems for four continuous duplexed black-and-white pages. :) I am feeling cautiously optimistic. Not having to regularly open the transfer-belt drawer, remove the transfer-belt, grab a curled piece of paper from the guts of my printer, and wait 90 seconds while the printer re-warms-up would be a welcome relief, even if a ream of 28-lb. paper costs $10.

Check out the price difference for one ream of 28-lb. paper (HPL285R) between HP's web site ($71.91) and Amazon.com/Office Depot ($9.99) via the links above. Only explanations I can come up with is that HP doesn't want to sell 28-lb. paper, or they only want to sell paper when they can get a seven-fold markup.

Favorite Season One Buffy Quote

From Season One, Episode 12, "Prophecy Girl" -- After Buffy and Willow independently turn down Xander's invitation to go to the Spring Fling dance (for different reasons), Xander defensively tells Willow:

"That's okay. I don't wanna go. I'm just gonna go home, lie down and listen to country music. The music of pain."

Xander proceeds to go home and listen to Patsy Cline's "I Fall To Pieces." :)

Patsy Cline is a country-western singer I like.

Gu Energy Gel

Purchased my first packet of Gu Energy Gel today from Fleet Feet Sports Fair Oaks. Will wait until my foot heals before trying it out. The woman at the store says she uses them on her two-hour runs. The packet says to use them every 45 minutes with water. That seems pretty frequent vs. the Powerbar.

Also bought a $9 pair of Balega Dry-namix Enduro Running Socks. The woman exclaimed when I brought them to the counter, "These are the best socks ever." :) And they work well, this is my second pair.

My main purpose in traveling to Fleet Feet today was to look at systems for carrying water with me when I run, sunglasses, and watches. The watches and sunglasses were very expensive, from $50-$100 and $150 respectively. In terms of a watch, I only want something that counts seconds after one hour elapses, so I can accurately time my walk breaks without having to look down, hold my shirt out of the way, and squint to read my pedometer while attempting to run forward. The sunglasses I tried seemed hip, and they had the grippy bits on the nose-pads and ears that the woman said remain grippy even while wet. $150 means I have to think about it some more though, and when I told that to her, she laughed, and agreed. :) She wore a colorful, long scarf around her neck, but the store was empty besides me and she seemed bored. The woman told me that she uses the bottle-gripper hand-strap instead of the systems that wrap-around the waist. She did not like the bounce of it during the run, but she said she did enjoy using it on hikes. She recommended the 2/4/6-mini-bottle wrap-arounds as an alternative. the smaller containers means the water weight is distributed and doesn't bounce as much in any one spot. She confessed that she forced herself to use the bottle-gripper and it took some getting used to. :P

Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season One

Watched Season One yesterday, an effective antidote to boredom during minor foot surgery recovery. Have already requested season two DVDs from the Sacramento Public Library. Funny, emotional at times, low-budget camp. The dialogue and confidence of Buffy and friends is addicting. I considered driving down to the Franklin Library branch this afternoon to pick up the second season but decided not to considering the US50/Hwy-99 rush-hour traffic. :P Instead the DVDs will make it to my house early next week some time. Probably best to not overwhelm myself with too much Buffy anyway, so I don't burn-out. ;)

I enjoyed watching these DVDs downstairs on our large screen, but my housemates' DVD player doesn't play the scratched-up DVDs so well; it pauses, or worse, displays the "Please check the disc for scratches or smudges" error, which means cycling the power or opening/closing the tray, which results in waiting through the FBI-warning screens for 30 seconds. x_x I almost gave up in frustration before remembering that I can play them on my laptop DVD player. Popped them in as a test and they played perfectly, so I watched the episodes uninterrupted on my 19" monitor. Such are the trials and tribulations of public library DVD borrowing.

If only I had realized such when I had the Veronica Mars Season One DVD marathon (discs two-six anyway). I missed season one episode "The Girl Next Door" and bits of episode "Like a Virgin" due to scratches on the discs. :P Still on the waiting list for Veronica Mars disc one. I was at position 7 out of 20 last I checked.

This series came out in 1997, a year I spent four months in Riga, Latvia studying abroad. Time flies. As Buffy says: "Life is short. Seize the day."

One thing I did notice about the Buffy series -- the clothing and hairstyles. The main characters in the show always have hip style sense. :) I do not remember my public school being so well-coordinated, but northern Wisconsin is quite different than southern California. ;)

Fruit Flies Like a Banana

Groucho Marx says, "Time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like a banana."

After many years of hearing this joke, only tonight did I get the second part. ;) How embarrassing. :) I still loved the quote for its silliness, understanding the second bit makes it even better.

I love the wit of the Marx Brothers. They took their humor on the road to see what worked and what didn't. So when you see a Marx Brothers movie, the humor bits have most likely already passed the laugh test in multiple situations.

Running journal, Tuesday, 2006-03-14

Running journal, Tuesday, 2006-03-14
Resting heart rate: 57 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Tuesday
Date: 2006-03-14
Weather: shower, partly sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 16.67 C (62 F)
Time: 13:42
Terrain: n/a
Comments: No walk/run today. Minor foot surgery day. :P Dreamed last night I was playing public school competitive basketball again. I was the star player, making passes, making shots, making assists, opening up the defense, playing defense, loving playing for the first time since elementary school. I didn't know the plays, I just went by instinct. I felt nervous not knowing the playbook, but since everything was going well no one challenged me on it. I remember Ryan Homann and Eric Brandis as teammates. The game stopped at the third quarter for a half-time-like intermission. My old coach Mr. Slavik was lecturing us, telling us the reason we were winning was because we were doing to them what they had been doing to us in the past. I remember feeling nervous at the break, both at Mr. Slavik's authoritarianism, and because I wanted to keep going, finish the game before I lost focus and the initiative. That's when the dream ended. My exercise and fitness perhaps has reactivated memories of a time in my life when I was in the same condition. Or perhaps applying my current interruptions in marathon training?
Time: n/a
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: n/a
Total Distance For Year: 254.4 km (155.8 mi)
Weight (after run): 78.6 kg (173.3 lbs), 19% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: Maple Nut Cluster cereal, soy milk, ma po tofu, hot tea, fortune cookie, cinnamon-raisin bun, Fig Newtons, bottle of Honest Tea First Nation Peppermint,

Fitness Calculations

My foot surgery means I will have to find a way to cross-train the next few weeks. While searching at the 24-Hour Fitness web site, I found these fitness calculators.

If I sat around doing nothing my body would burn 1879 calories per day. Luckily getting into and out of bed each day help me burn more calories than that. ;)
Link: http://www.24hourfitness.com/html/fitness/fit_calc/rest/

My body mass index is 22. The link below says, "Males with a BMI above 27.8 and women over 27.3 are considered overweight. Males with a BMI less than 20.7 and women below 19.1 are classified as underweight."
http://www.24hourfitness.com/html/fitness/fit_calc/bmi/

This link says I need to eat 2631 calories per day for my height, weight, and moderate amount of exercise. I do not think I am eating 2631 calories per day.
http://www.24hourfitness.com/html/fitness/fit_calc/daily/

Running journal, Monday, 2006-03-13

Running journal, Monday, 2006-03-13
Resting heart rate: 68 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Monday
Date: 2006-03-13
Weather: partly sunny, 5 m/s wind
Temp: 15.56 C (60 F)
Time: 17:00-17:45
Terrain: flat, some mild hills
Comments: Running day. Noticed my heart-rate is high today. Perhaps my heart was pumping fast due to the rich food from yesterday. Vivid dreams too right before I woke up but I do not remember what. Walking to the pedestrian bridge today, I greeted a man who had parked behind me, and he said as he exited his car, "Hey, where's your sweatshirt?" :) I told him it was over 60 so I wore my singlet. :) He caught up to me and shared he was an early-retiree, age 45, ex-plumber, waiting for a knee operation he might not get until he was 60, due to insurance. He said the pain was like having a toothache in your knee. He wanted to check the murkiness of the water, I guess for fishing purposes. When we reached the bridge, he confessed he had done a gainer off the bridge when he was a child, but now "he had better never catch his kids doing that." Funny. :) I sensed he felt lonely and wanted some community interaction. I enjoyed our talk, he seemed like a nice guy. He stopped to check the water and we parted. The run today was pleasant, but I felt bored. The mid-week runs at American River Parkway offer little in terms of new sights and sounds. I did not eat or drink anything besides the Powerbar before today's run, which most likely affected my mental state. I ran with a gliding motion on the way back, and it did feel efficient. About 11 min/mile today, ran the way out in 22, and the way back in about 20. Mostly downhill on the way back, which helped. Ran late in the day today because I spent the first bit running errands (no pun intended). Sun set at 18:11 today, which offers more time for daylight running. Minor foot surgery tomorrow. Nervous about how it will affect my training schedule. The doctor said two to three weeks. x_x One thing I can do is cross-train. That means money, unless a public pool exists near here.
Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 6.18 km (3.83 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=63249
Total Distance For Year: 254.4 km (155.8 mi)
Weight (after run): 78.2 kg (172.43 lbs), 20% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Going downhill on the return, I felt a mild ache in my left knee. On the way out, I felt a sore muscle on the side of my right hip, near the upper leg.
Foods eaten today: Peanut-Butter Powerbar, penne pasta, bread with olive oil and balsemic vinegar, olives, soy milk, frozen blueberries in soy milk

Happy, Joyous, Free

Saw a license-plate frame yesterday with the inscription, "Happy, Joyous, Free -- One day at a time." I like that. :)

24-hour clock Pronunciations

I always wonder how to say certain times in 24-hour format. Thanks Wikipedia.

The 24-hour clock in spoken English

The time 18:30 is usually pronounced "eighteen thirty". In U.S. military usage, this is often followed by the word "hours", to clarify that the speaker is referring to a time of day. Conventions differ slightly for full hours, but both "eighteen o'clock" and "eighteen hundred" are commonly encountered spoken English for 18:00, with "eighteen hundred hours" being the standard U.S. military usage. The time 18:05 is commonly pronounced either "eighteen oh five" or "five past eighteen". In U.S. military usage, a leading zero for the hours before 10:00 is pronounced as well, as in "oh three oh five hours" for 03:05, but this would be considered unusual in a civilian setting.

Taking as an example, the United Kingdom's Birmingham New Street Station, the public announcement system refers to 24-hour times as: 06:59 "oh six fifty-nine", to 07:00 "oh seven hundred hours". What is used for 00:00 is unknown, as trains virtually never leave at midnight. On the display boards at Birmingham New Street, mirroring the majority of stations in the UK, and timetables, the time is written as HHMM, as in 0659 or 0700 for 'one minute to-' and 'seven o'clock' respectively.

In common with what happens with units, the written and spoken forms of time do not always match. For example, it is possible for a train time to be written as "18:30" but a person may say "there is a train at half-past".

Running journal, Sunday, 2006-03-12

Running journal, Sunday, 2006-03-12
Resting heart rate: 53 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Sunday
Date: 2006-03-12
Weather: overcast, rainy, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 8.89 C (48 F)
Time: 09:15-10:15
Terrain: flat
Comments: Walking day. Took a friend's dog named Grrr out for a walk today, so altered my sleep schedule a bit to be there by 09:00. This might account for the second-lowest heart-rate ever. Colder than usual this morning. Grrr jumped into my car, and off we went. He was not interested in Trader Joe's Buddy Biscuits on the way there, most likely too excited. He eventually came up to the front seat with me, half of his body in the back seat and the other half in the front-passenger seat. I hooked him up on a leash, grabbed my umbrella and pedometr, and off we went. Grrr was excited by the smells, sights, sounds. Normally he stays in the backyard of my friend's home. I kept the pace slow, letting Grrr check out various items of interest on the trail. When bikers passed I reined him in. One was kind enough to thank me for the courtesy. The rain began about 20-minutes out. Grrr never barked once. On the way back, we left the trail and entered an open field between the access road and the property line wall, and I let him off the leash. He bounded everywhere, free at last. He would run up to me, and show me he wanted to play. :) I would dash with him a few yards, then stop and let him keep going. When we returned to the trail, I re-attached the leash, and off we went. He seemed nervous as we re-crossed the pedestrian bridge, I think because of the slick surface of the boards. On the return trip, he curled up into a ball in my front passenger-seat, by the heaters. :) Grrr is a collie, I forget the specific name, so he has herding instincts. When I left him with my friend, his tail was wagging, he was very happy. Hopefully next time the weather is nicer.
Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 3.31 km (2.05 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=63290
Total Distance For Year: 248.2 km (152.0 mi)
Weight (after run): n/a (forgot)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: Maple Nut Cluster cereal, soy milk, Mexicali Quiche, broccoli and white cheddar cheese soup, mushroom, spinach, and roasted garlic calzone, goat-cheese pizza, sparkling apple juice

Running journal, Saturday, 2006-03-11

Running journal, Saturday, 2006-03-11
Resting heart rate: 58 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Saturday
Date: 2006-03-11
Weather: Partly sunny, overcast, 1 m/s wind
Temp: 11.11 C (52 F)
Time: 10:00-12:00
Terrain: flat
Comments: Eight-mile long run today. Woke at 08:00 since my alarm-clock did not go off. Perhaps time to get a new alarm clock. My goal is to awake at 05:00 and begin running by 07:30, which means leaving my home no later than 07:15. Several obstacles persist -- late-night computer sessions and inertia primarily. Wore my red shorts and training singlet this morning, which turned out to be a chilly mistake at 11 degrees C. I ran slowly, not breaking a sweat until mile 5-6, when the clouds parted somewhat and allowed warm rays of sunshine to cover parts of the landscape. I felt more flexible with the warming of the air, and the joy of running returned. The second half made up for the cold first half, but I want to know how to judge weather appropriately. It appears I read Galloway's weather chart wrong. When he said "50-59 degrees: T-shirt and shorts," I substituted T-shirt for Singlet. I now see that he reccommends singlets for 60+ degree weather. I can see why. :) Several people passing me felt concerned enough to communicate with me by saying, "Brrr," or, "You must be freezing." I laughed at their semi-serious thoughts. I did feel chilled, and did not realize how much it affected my enjoyment of the run until the clouds parted. At that time I realized that a component of a positive run is warm, flexible muscles, instead of chilly, stiff, tense muscles. I practised efficient running form, by moving my hands down to my shorts while running, and this seems to help with keeping my shoulder muscles loose. I also feel more efficient running that way. I did notice that my right shoulder, which has felt sore these past weeks, felt tingly during the second half when I help my hands by my shorts. I think this is just a consequence of using the computer too much. :) Am learning that before saying hello to people it helps to make eye-contact. If they make eye contact, it is a good bet they would welcome a greeting. If they do not, then they might not. I ran on the asphalt of the bike trail again today, and I think the level footing helps a lot with fatigue, even though the surface causes more impact. On the return at mile 19, I saw six black-tailed deer feeding. That is the largest number I have seen in a group. I also saw a jack-rabbit today, and heard a wild turkey gobble. While crossing the pedestrian bridge on the way out, I heard a high-pitched noise from the black metal fence which sounded like pressure releasing from a shaken up two-liter bottle of soda. I was wrong about the graffiti, it's still there, it just doesn't appear visible when the bridge is wet. :P
Time: 116 minutes (1:56)
Goal Time: NONE :)
Distance: 12.90 km (8 mi), so 8.9 min/km, or 14.5 min/mile http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=59447
Total Distance For Year: 238.7 km (146.1 mi)
Weight (after run): 78.6 kg (173.3 lbs), 22% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Right upper-arm felt tingly/numb during miles 6-7.
Foods eaten today: Peanut-Butter Powerbar (2), organic black bean soup, toaster waffles and pure maple syrup, soy milk, goat cheese pizza, sparkling apple juice.

Running journal, Friday, 2006-03-10

Running journal, Friday, 2006-03-10
Resting heart rate: 66 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Friday
Date: 2006-03-10
Weather: Partly sunny, hail, rain 2m/s wind
Temp: n/a
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a
Comments: Long run (12.9 km/8 mi) tomorrow, so taking "off day" today. :) Replaced my car's seatbelt-track motor which died yesterday. This is the second time I have replaced that part in my car. :P Forgot to mention that my on my way to Pick 'N Pull this afternoon, I was pulled over because my seat-belt was not engaged. I did not feel upset, I got a correction warning, and lost time. I am going to sleep early tonight (22:00) so I might get up at 05:30 and get practice for the race-day routine.
Run Time: n/a
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: n/a
Total Distance For Year: n/a
Weight (after run): n/a
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: banana, toaster waffles with real maple syrup, Mushroom Risotto (450 cal), soy milk, olives, steamed rice with cut green beans and sliced carrots, Powerbar Naturals bar

Condensation Funnel Sighting At Lake Natoma

Not sure if this was a cold-air funnel. Second picture shows it dissipating after ten minutes.





Local news here, here.

Running journal, Thursday, 2006-03-09

Running journal, Thursday, 2006-03-09
Resting heart rate: 62 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Thursday
Date: 2006-03-09
Weather: Partly sunny, thunderstorm, funnel cloud, 5 m/s wind ;)
Temp: 12.78 C (55 F)
Time: 14:45-17:00
Terrain: flat with mild hills
Comments: Walking day today and Lanna volunteered to come along. One nice thing about walking with Lanna is that she knows more about bird identification than I do, and she does not mind teaching. Walked the Pioneer Express Trail on the north side of Lake Natoma, then took Main Ave (dirt road, really) north to the intersection of Sunset Ave. Then we took the Shady Trail back to Lake Natoma. While we walked back, a rain shower burst above us, and we heard several loud thunderclaps with sights of lightning to the south (about eight miles, if you consider our counting the elapsed time between lightning-sighting and thunderclap reasonably scientific). When we reached the trail, I was getting a bit wet, and a biker and his female biking companion passed us. The male biker said to me, "Forgot your jacket." :P I didn't mind so much. Then to our shock we saw the formation of a funnel cloud to the south, my first sighting. A female biker traveling westbound slowed and gaped at it with us, then shared our sentiment by admitting she felt scared. Lanna didn't seem scared so much, but I was mentally calculating where to flee if it touched down and headed our way. Happily, it remained frozen, and after ten minutes it dissipated. To the south-east, we saw dense sheets of rain from the thunderstorm system stretching in liquid arcs from the clouds to the ground. Lanna noticed the heavy rain-drops transforming the lake water into a shimmering surface. As we watched the storm progress, we heard several wild turkeys from atop the bluffs. We caught sight of them as three or four of them fed themselves. We continued, the rain abetting. When we reached the Nimbus Dam, we saw a number of additional wild turkeys climbing out of sight on the top of that bluff. How about that, half a dozen wild turkey sightings in one day. :) A jogger ran past us and shared that, "You'll see a lot of them around here." :) On the walk back to the car, Lanna noticed green herons sitting on a wire crossing the American River next to the Nimbus Fish Hatchery. At my car, I noticed to my dismay that the seatbelt track on my Ford Escort decided to malfunction. :P With a deft flick of the wrist, I disconnected the wire activating the track motor. I have replaced it before so replacing it again is no challenge, it's just a consumption of time and energy. I felt happy walking along the lush Shady Trail, listening to the rain in the treetops, hearing the roar of the electrical storm, feeling the rain on my skin, seeing the funnel and the turkeys. It was a remarkable walk, and we went at a pace that did not irritate my muscles.
Time: 135 minutes (2:15)
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 6.92 km (4.29 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=52024
Total Distance For Year: 225.9 km (138.1 mi)
Weight (after run): 80.0 kg (176.4 lbs), 19% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: WestSoy Plain soy milk, Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice, olives, Trader Joe's Maple Pecan Cluster cereal, spaghetti and marinara with spinach. Not necessarily in that order. ;)

Running journal, Wednesday, 2006-03-08

Running journal, Wednesday, 2006-03-08
Resting heart rate: n/a
Day: Wednesday
Date: 2006-03-08
Weather: Mostly sunny, 3 m/s wind
Temp: 17.78 C (64 F)
Time: 12:15-1:00
Terrain: flat
Comments: Positive running experience today, much better than the previous two running days. As I crossed the pedestrian bridge on the way out, I overheard a wheelchair-bound woman singing along to her guitar-playing male partner in the shade of the pedestrian bridge. The woman sang, "She's my baby, and that's all right. She's my baby, she's clear outta sight," cackled, and repeated the verse. :) She sang with no sense of embarrassment, shame, or inhibition. The singing was off-key, but I enjoyed her attitude. Went out really slow. Noticed another nest of bees at the base of a tree near the 21-mile marker. Ran on the pavement and easily avoided approaching bikers. The asphalt pounding may have caused a muscle in my right upper-leg to feel sore afterward. Focused on keeping my arms loose and fluid, and my posture tall. On the return, a man walking an Airedale smiled and said, "Good day to you." Fun. :) Running slow did not cause me to lose much distance, maybe 100 meters, and I ended the run feeling a bit tired but happy, comfortable, and ready to continue my day. :) Noticed the new graffiti has vanished from the pedestrian bridge. Perhaps it was erased by the heavy rain, or more likely an employee of the Sacramento County Parks and Recreation was able to remove it. When I returned from my run, the man had slung his guitar case over his shoulder and was pushing the woman in the wheelchair up the embankment to cross the bridge. As I approached them, I heard the woman laugh and exuberantly belted out, "Stop, you have to stop at the stop sign." :) There is a stop sign where the clover-leaf bit of the embankment trail meets the perpendicular north-south trail that I was on. The man pushed her wheelchair through without stopping, and her cackle was infectious. I smiled and shared the moment with them. They paused about halfway across the bridge and I passed them, as she noticed some people feeding the ducks from the broken cement boat-landing below. She shouted something like, "Get off your butt old man." When I looked I did not see an old man, so I am not sure who she was talking to. I realized today how important positive experiences are for self-reinforcing exercise. When I have a positive exercise day, I cannot wait to get out and exercise again. I enjoy the community, the communion with nature, and the natural high from running.
Time: 47 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 5.65 km (3.5 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=55372
Total Distance For Year: 219.0 km (133.8 mi)
Weight (after run): 79.6 kg (175.2 lbs), 21% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Right upper leg muscle sore afterward.
Foods eaten today: WestSoy Plain soy milk, Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice, Stove Top San Francisco Sourdough Stuffing, olives, Trader Joe's Maple Pecan Cluster cereal

Running journal, Tuesday, 2006-03-07

Running journal, Tuesday, 2006-03-07
Resting heart rate: 53 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Tuesday
Date: 2006-03-07
Weather: Partly sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 15.56 C (60 F)
Time: 14:50-15:30
Terrain: flat
Comments: Walking day. Forgot to mention yesterday three new graffiti marks on the pedestrian bridge, all in the same color and style: "Rob A.K.A. Speedy," "I *heart* Brittany," and "Spazz." While on the bluff over looking the pedestrian bridge a few weeks ago, I noticed someone had managed to somehow place graffiti using white tape on the top metal beam that says, "I Love (someone's name) *heart and arrow*." No idea how they did that. There is also miscellaneous graffiti on other bits of the bridge. One that appears a bit around mile 19.5 is "sine." I guess it makes sense to the person who writes it. Took my binoculars and camera out today. As I crossed the pedestrian bridge, I noticed a bunch of kids at the fence at the end of Bridge Street looking down the embankment at their friends who had somehow gotten underneath the bridge. Apparently they were having a tough time climbing out. :P The boys did not have any shirts on, and I wondered if they had been jumping off the bridge. My housemate shared that when he was a child, he and his friends would jump off the bridge. :o Seems a bit risky to me. There were also some motorcyclists parked in the place where I turn around. :P At the other side of the bridge, I noticed a car stop and play its dance music loudly for 30 seconds or so with the doors open. So what is with the people behavior today? :) I am a bit nervous that this is the predictor for summer as more and more people begin coming to the river to relax and enjoy the scenery. The weather was a bit cool, slightly windy, and mostly cloudy, with steel gray and white clouds illuminated by the sun making some spectacular patterns. I could see thick streams of rain falling to the east. Saw a number of jackrabbits today, as well as the hawk I saw a few days ago. :) The bees were still industrious. As I exited the woods, a woman jogger with red shorts, a blue top and an iPod passed me huffing and puffing. I smiled and said hello, and she gasped, "Hi," between gulps of air. Noticing more and more the sounds of the birds as I go along. I can identify the hummingbird, and the scrub jay, and of course the ducks and crow. The other little birds I am not sophisticated enough to pick out. I noticed that the common mergansers are not out in large groups around the pedestrian bridge like they were in early February. I also noticed a birdhouse along the trail near where the fly-fishers cast their lines. Felt a bit tired today, most likely because of staying up until 04:00 this morning.
Time: 40 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 3.33 km (2.06 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=53506
Total Distance For Year: 213.3 km (132.3 mi)
Weight (after run): 80.0 kg (176.4 lbs), 20% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Legs a bit stiff, but nothing major
Foods eaten today: toaster waffles and real maple syrup, cinnamon-raisin bagel, soy milk, Oriental flavor Ramen noodles with soycatash, chips & "Desert Pepper Trading Company "Corn, Black Bean, and Roasted Red Pepper Salsa"

NYC Marathon Registration Completed, Waiting For June 15 Lottery Results

My replacement credit card arrived. First thing I did was activate it and sign up for the NYC marathon. ;) I was right, it's a lottery, so waiting to sign-up did not hurt my chances of getting in. They will pick the entrants on June 15. :)

The confirmation page says:

Hello, Kevin!

You have successfully been entered into the lottery for a spot in the ING NYC Marathon. Please check back here after June 15th to see if you are among the lucky runners selected!

If I do not get into the NYC marathon (Nov 5), I will most likely run in the California International Marathon, on Dec 3, 2006, or perhaps another race in November, if one catches my eye. I do not have anything planned from August-October yet.

Words I Seem To Have a Hard Time Spelling

Went back and corrected spelling mistakes in my posts. Here are the main culprits:

• apparently (switched the 'e' for 'a')
  
• raisin (switched 'e' for last 'i')
  
• conscious (left out the first 's')
  

A few capitalization lessons, like Cajun, Spanish.

Now that I have posted them here, I will never spell them wrong again, ever. ;)

Running journal, Monday, 2006-03-06

Running journal, Monday, 2006-03-06
Resting heart rate: n/a
Day: Monday
Date: 2006-03-06
Weather: Overcast, rainy, 8 m/s wind
Temp: 15.56 C (60 F)
Time: 15:30-16:15
Terrain: flat
Comments: Excited to get out today and practice improving my running form after reflecting on the disappointing performance on Saturday. The rain was thick and heavy today, and within 30 seconds I was soaked. It took about 20 minutes for my shoes and socks to get soaked, running through puddles. The air was a bit chilly, so I wore my white gloves for the first time today, completing the unintended patriotic display of red shorts and blue top. The rain eventually soaked my gloves, and I found that I could not make a fist and squeeze the water out. I resorted to making fists and pounding the meaty part of my hands together to squeeze the water out. :) This met with moderate success, releasing large drops of water from the material. I found it refreshing to run in the heavy rain. The chill I felt initially went away as I ran, and the trail was mine except for the rare biker and the even rarer pedestrian. The rain soaked my 80/20 polyester/cotton blend shirt, and it became a wet clinging sheet, which was an interesting experience. The majority of the animals seemed to have taken cover from the rain, although I did see a trio of black-tailed deer feeding just off the trail at the 19.5 mile mark. They stood and watched me curiously as I stopped and stared at them. On the way out, I passed a man with a large green and white umbrella walking his large dog. As I passed, I greeted him, and he asked how I was doing, to which I replied, "I am feeling wet today." :) We laughed, and he shared that his dog did not seem to like the bursts of heavy rain. Cute. :) The man seemed to shared my positive mood, and we wished each other well. On the return, I passed a girl who entered the bike trail at Ambassador Drive. She had long brown hair, with a scrunchy, and as she ran it bobbed back and forth behind her. :) I smiled and waved as we passed and she smiled in return, with a slightly embarrassed look at being out in such weather. :) As I approached the 19 mile mark, an older biker approaching me said "Brrrrr" as he passed. I laughed -- I wasn't cold, just soaked. :) After I completed my run, but before I reached the pedestrian bridge, I took off my shirt and gloves to wring them out, placing the gloves back into my center-rear pocket. Walking shirtless in the rain for a few meters felt refreshing. I put my shirt back on and crossed the bridge. As I did, a man on a bicycle passed me from behind, and I heard him talking to himself, saying in a monotone-voice, "Rain down, rain down on me," perhaps from the Phil Collins song, and then, in a slightly agitated voice, "I wish they'd turn off the fucking rain." He wore a new, thick, synthetic purple winter coat, and carried some possessions on his bike rack wrapped in transparent-blue bubble-wrap. He stored a bottle filled with an orange liquid in his bottle-holder. He had an unkept white beard, and looked to be in his fifties. He had pulled his tube-socks up tight over the outside of his pants, to his upper calves. Slowly, deliberately, he and his bike continued up Bridge Street. I returned to my car and caught up to him at the top of the hill and we waited together at the Sunrise/Fair Oaks stoplight. Then I passed him and he was gone. In terms of form, I ran much taller today. I combined this with striding, which seemed to scrunch me over a bit. So I alternated between remembering to straighten myself up taller, to scrunching a bit for striding. :) Striding feels interesting. I thought about my muscles as I ran, and when striding I felt like I used the top leg muscles, the quadriceps, as well as the bottom leg muscles, the hamstrings. I kept my feet so low to the ground that I often scuffed them, then realizing this was inefficient, I raised them up a bit to where I was just skimming over the ground. What I would like to see is a video of what recommended running form looks like. It is hard for me when I am running to know if my tall, striding form is efficient. I can feel the difference when I do not raise my knees, it does seem to be more efficient. I think I ran too fast today because I was feeling tired of being soaked. x_x I hydrated myself a bit more when I ate my Peanut Butter Powerbar before running (and during the rain, ha ha), but this resulted in the urge to relieve myself twice during my run. :P Wondering about how frequent marathoners deal with this. I imagine some just let it go while running to save time. x_x Seems a bit too gross for me.
Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 6.76 km (4.19 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=52024
Total Distance For Year: 210.0 km (130.2 mi)
Weight (after run): 79.2 kg (174.63 lbs), 21% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Felt a bit stiff from Saturday, but no problems while running.
Foods eaten today: maple nut cluster cereal, soy milk, cinnamon-rasin bagel, pad thai noodles, Peanut Butter Powerbar, olives

flickr photo: "every summer/good girl"

Following the "Top 10 Ways to Find Great Photos on Flickr," I felt struck by this self-portrait:



Calm, alert, pensive, thoughtful, coordinated, intelligent, impatient, full of spunk. I love it. :)

Running journal, Sunday, 2006-03-05

Running journal, Sunday, 2006-03-05
Resting heart rate: 57 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Sunday
Date: 2006-03-05
Weather: Overcast, rainy, 8 m/s wind
Temp: 15.56 C (60 F)
Time: 15:30-16:15
Terrain: flat
Comments: Rainy walking day at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery today. Slept 10 hours and my legs feel almost 100%. Walked slow. Smelled the humid air and the fish. At the Nimbus Dam, I saw the remains of a small bird, long dead, impaled on a coil of razor-wire. :( Walked back across the river, and down to the fish ladder, reading the signs that I could. The Chinook salmon swim upstream from mid-October to December. The fish hatchery operators use weirs to direct them up the fish ladder and into the holding pond area. Most fish are three to four years of age, although some two-year-old fish make it. They die after spawning. The steelheads come a few months after that, I think. The fish hatchery was built in 1955 after the Nimbus Dam construction interfered with the normal spawning areas. I noticed on the large cement posts that span the river there are downward-pointing hooks and grooves for the walkways that are now in storage on the riverbank. The hooks must be for the weirs. On my return to the car, I noticed a flock of blackbirds. They squeezed between the spaces of the chain-link fence and freely sat on the fish tanks as they wished. I guess the fence is meant to keep out larger predatory birds. Briefly worked on running posture today. Saw a lot of the underside of my brown umbrella. :) Almost forgot a sign on the north side of the Nimbus Dam which reads, "Entering Water Will Cause Almost Certain Death."
Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 3.31 km (2.05 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=50297
Total Distance For Year: 203.2 km (126.0 mi)
Weight (after run): 79.6 kg (175.52 lbs), 20% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: A bit of fatigue still from yesterday, but almost 100%.
Foods eaten today: maple nut cluster cereal, soy milk, cinnamon-rasin bagel, potato-leek soup, chips & Desert Pepper Trading Company "Corn, Black Bean, and Roasted Red Pepper Salsa"

Running journal, Saturday, 2006-03-04

Running journal, Saturday, 2006-03-04
Resting heart rate: 56 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Saturday
Date: 2006-03-04
Weather: Sunny, then overcast
Temp: 16.67 C (62 F)
Time: 09:35-13:01
Terrain: 21.34 meter descent on way out, same climb on way back (~70 feet). A lot of flat spaces, but a number of mild hills
Comments: 16-miler today. Not as interesting as the 14-miler from two weeks ago. I stayed up late last night writing e-mails and overslept, waking at 08:45. My alarm did not go off for some reason. :P Perhaps I am not as excited because my last long run left me feeling sore and exhausted. :) The weather, regardless, was sunny, a bit too chilly for a walk in my singlet and shorts, but perfect for running. Ran the first half in 1:40, the second in 1:46. Average pace of 12.88 min/mi, a 5.62 hour marathon time. I saw the two bubbly girls again as they left the mile 19 wayside park. I heard a wild-turkey gobble in the woods near mile 17. :) At mile 16, I heard two female joggers approaching behind me. A middle-aged male biker approaching me from the front, a big smile on his face, whistled past me at them. I felt shocked at his behavior, because I would like everyone to enjoy exercise without unwanted sexual advances from strangers. I saw a coyote picking meat off of a carcass near mile 15 (a chain-link fence separated us). I stopped and stared, and it got nervous, grabbed a hunk, and trotted away across a field. Across the bridge and 100 meters down the trail from the coyote sighting, someone had parked a red car on the trail shoulder. Back at mile 18.5, I had overheard a patrol car asking a biker about a car on the trail. The biker said he hadn't seen a car -- maybe this was the one the officer was looking for. There I go again on my Veronica Mars kick, solving the mysteries of the world. ;) At any rate, It was gone when I returned. At mile 14, as I passed two women walkers, a jackrabbit sprinted across the trail and road ahead of us. One of the surprised women mentioned it to the other, who replied, "Jackrabbit, I thought it was a horse." Funny. :) Near mile 12, a couple on quad-skates passed me. I wonder if the movie Roll Bounce (2005) has interested people in them as an alternative to inline-skates. Turning around at mile 12, I returned to the mile 13 wayside in Goethe Park. There I saw a bicycle team from the Greater Sacramento/Northern Nevada Leukemia & Lymphoma Society "Team In Training" (TNT, or GSNNLLSTNT ;)) resting on the ground. A woman that I frequently recognize was with them. She sticks in my memory because she wears sky blue (one of my favorite colors), seems wise, seems to enjoy her exercise, and because I think the facial features behind her sunglasses and helmet are cute. :) I chewed two bites of my Peanut Butter-flavored Powerbar during each walk break, and it tasted really good. I realized how hungry I felt, which makes sense considering I burned about 2200 calories today (I weigh about 2.2 kg (4.85 lbs) less than Friday). I also realized how little water I was drinking, and I stopped at every water fountain I could. Next time I will hydrate myself properly the night and morning before the run. x_x I feel disappointed with my preparedness because I really want to have these routines down before the marathon in June, so I might go into it feeling as confident as I can expect to. :P At mile 15, an older runner approached me that I frequently see on the trail. We exchanged greetings, he turned around at mile 15 a few minutes later, then passed me as I took a walk break. At mile 15, in the coyote's place, I saw a great blue heron standing upright. :) My "eagle eyes" noticed it only after I watched a biker pull off the road, dismount, walk her bike over to the chain-link fence, and pull out her camera. ;) Near mile 16 I saw a belted kingfisher for the first time. :) Shortly thereafter, perhaps because of the water and energy bar intake, I felt strong enough to move my hips forward and my chest upward, a more efficient running form (I think). I felt fine until mile 17, when my calf muscles began mildly cramping. I returned to my old form, a mild forward slouch, and this helped, perhaps because I slowed down. By mile 19 my right calf no longer hurt. :) At the mile 19 wayside park, a smiling and gregarious middle-aged woman with a long pigtail (high on endorphins, no doubt ;) passed me for the second time. We exchanged greetings, and after noticing she was running strongly, I encouraged her as she ran away with, "Good job." :) She pumped both arms in the air in thanks. :) Fun. She wore a bottle gripper. Before crossing under the Sunrise overpass, I passed three boys on bikes waiting impatiently for their grandfather to catch up, presumably from a mile-19 wayside bathroom break. As I passed them, I overheard one judge me by remarking matter-of-factly to the other, "He's not really running." :) I was too exhausted to laugh, but this remark made my day. :) The boy was spot-on. I was a shuffling, achy, exhausted mess, my muscles too stiff and inflexible to go any faster. As I reached the pedestrian bridge, three and one-half hours after I had left it, I raised my arms in a tired, triumphant gesture and then slowly began the humbling climb up the steep embankment, carefully nursing my aching calf muscles. :) I walked across the bridge, noting the sky was now overcast, and then walked back across to continue loosening my legs. I noticed an Acorn Woodpecker squawking and attempting to build a nest in the hollow of one of the bridge joints. I had noticed a pigeon with a twig in its beak climb inside a joint on the other side as I crossed the bridge on the way out. As I smiled at the bird's industriousness, I heard a woman on the opposite side say, "Excuse me." I turned, and she inquired of me calmly, "Do you know about the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?" She was carrying a plastic grocery bag and had taken her headphones off of her ears. I replied that I knew of him, and after a few exchanges, we began walking to the south end of the bridge. She told me how Jesus had brought her happiness and strength, to the point where she felt "addicted" and needed Him every day. She told me of God's healing power, and how it could raise people from the dead, like Lazarus from the Christian bible. I asked her if she had personally seen someone raised from the dead, and she replied in the affirmative. She related a story to me of how she had been at the scene of an accident, and had seen someone stop breathing. After she returned from calling an ambulance, to her shock the man was walking again. I interacted with her compassionately, trying to understand what needs her belief in God filled for her. She seemed happy to share her thoughts with someone who did not judge or criticize her. When we reached the south end of the bridge, I stopped and thanked her, and she asked me if she could give me the names of churches in the area where I could learn more. I told her I was an atheist, and wasn't actively seeking a spiritual or religious component to my life. She seemed to accept that. I thanked her again for sharing her testimony and wished her well. We parted amicably. She seemed to have an air of loneliness about her and a head-in-the-clouds tone in her voice. An embarrassing moment occurred during the discussion when my Safeway Sport Sunblock (SPF 30) began irritating my left eye, causing a few tears to fall down my cheek. I felt so embarrassed, thinking to myself that she would interpret my tears as an indication of how moved I was by her testimony. My cheap sunglasses do not fit my face well, hugging too close to my eyes, which causes sweat to accumulate and drain into my eye. :P Time to invest in better sunglasses. As I walked back across the bridge, I noted that my right-calf seems to fatigue more because it bears more weight than the left on the bits of the trail where the shoulder slopes downward. Running on the asphalt seems to be the only solution I can think of to this problem. That means a harder running surface and danger from high-speed bikers though. I'll probably just stick with running on the shoulder when I can. Happily, no chafing problems with the RaceReady shorts. :) That alone is worth their price. :) Galloway says that the exhaustion I felt today ("slowing down during the last three to six miles, feeling very tired at the end and all evening long, not being able to maintain the pace at the end of the run without struggling") is because I ran too fast. While this solution comes as a relief, I wonder how I can run any slower. Perhaps improve my form from the beginning and shorten my stride length? I really want to finish in under six hours so I might impress my friends and family, but my expectations might not be consistent with my training schedule. I am on the "To Finish" schedule after all. ;) I definitely do not feel "strong" at the end like Galloway recommends. My right shoulder also hurt. Galloway says this might be because I'm "leaning forward as I run." True enough. He continues, "you'll have a tendency to compensate by holding the head back, which uses the muscles of the shoulder and neck more and produces fatigue more rapidly. When the body is held upright, the head, neck and shoulders are in alignment and require little or no muscle power to keep them in position. Those who hold their arms too far out from the body will also overextend the muscles of the shoulder and neck. The ideal arm position is minimal, with the arms held in a relaxed position next to the body. When the lower arm goes through a small range of motion alongside the shorts and the upper part of the arm hardly moves, there is little fatigue in the arms, shoulder, or neck muscles." So there I go -- straighten up from the beginning and run efficiently. This is what I want to do, but I forgot to this morning until the return, and then my calf muscles hurt, perhaps because I ran too fast. The strange thing is, I want to go running again right now with a fresh body to re-do my run from today and fix my mistakes. ;) I probably violated a major rule today at the beginning by doing something in my long-run that I had not practiced in my recovery runs. Galloway mentioned in his book how the Greek messengers ran, and I spent about two miles trying to find the rhythm before giving up. After giving up, I didn't even think about straightening up my form. I will work on nailing the efficient form this week.
Run Time: 3:26 (1:40 split, 206 minutes, 7.98 min/km, 12.88 min/mi)
Goal Time: 3.33 hours
Distance: 25.8 km (16 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=48721
Total Distance For Year: 199.9 km (123.9 mi)
Weight (after run): 78.2 kg (172.43 lbs), 22% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: mild cramping in right calf around mile 12. Muscles felt very tight at the end. My right shoulder hurt.
Foods eaten today: Peanut butter Powerbar (2 @ 240 cal ea), banana, cheese tortellini, green beans, organic baguette

Running Odds and Ends

Some things I have seen and heard over the past weeks that have not made their way into a journal entry:

• wheelchair (leg amputees) bikers
• recumbent bikers
• fiberglass-shell recumbent bikers
• hand-cranked recumbent bikes
• tandem bikes
  
• off-key, headphones-wearing, unabashed, singing jogger
• skater with quads
• bits of various conversations between bikers as they pass
  
• An empty can of Sparks energy malt liquor, a "premium malt beverage with caffeine, citric acid blend, taurine, guarana, ginseng, natural flavors, certified color and FD&C Yellow Number 5."
  

I enjoy the diversity. :)

Running journal, Friday, 2006-03-03

Running journal, Friday, 2006-03-03
Resting heart rate: 64 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Friday
Date: 2006-03-03
Weather: Sunny, windy
Temp: n/a
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a
Comments: Long run (25.8 km/16 mi) tomorrow, so taking "off day" today. :)
Run Time: n/a
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: n/a
Total Distance For Year: n/a
Weight (after run): 80.2 kg (176.84 lbs)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: Maple Nut Cluster cereal, soy milk, cinnamon-raisin roll (100 cal), Asian noodles, Mexicali Quiche (500 cal)

Iris Color

Out of curiosity, I decided to figure out the exact colors in my eyes last night.

Here are some of the main colors illuminated from a shot from my closet light:

RGB	Color
39,61,74
45,63,65
51,57,79
82,104,114
97,122,144
109,128,145
121,128,146
122,145,159
145,159,170

Here are some of the main colors taken from an afternoon image taken on the front lawn:

RGB	Color
143,147,124
152,154,133
170,174,151
186,194,171
174,181,163
170,179,161
193,193,169
176,188,168
191,203,183

Reflection of the sky and lawn? Red-shift of the setting afternoon sun? The green and red values got bumped a lot in the outdoors images. I read somewhere that light-colored pigments can look different based on clothing and surroundings, but I forgot where I learned this.

While looking at the images I discovered a brown fleck in my left eye. Now I see it every time I look in the mirror. :)

You are getting sleepy, very sleepy. Look into my eyes. :)

Running journal, Thursday, 2006-03-02

Running journal, Thursday, 2006-03-02
Resting heart rate: 65 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Thursday
Date: 2006-03-02
Weather: Mostly cloudy
Temp: 18.89 C (66 F)
Time: 13:25-15:30
Terrain: flat
Comments: Took the binoculars and camera out on my walk today. Spent way more time than I planned to. :) Saw Acorn Woodpeckers, Killdeer, Yellow-Rumped Warblers, Northern Flicker, red-shafted, Black Phoebe, American Robins, hummingbirds, a jackrabbit. Walked right up under a hawk sitting on the top of a tree and got a clear view of it. It had light-brown feathers, with two grey feathers in it's tail. We both watched a teenage boy ride by on his bike and check his voice-mail. I watched with the binoculars as the hawk called twice more, then flew away. No idea what type of hawk it was (see picture below). I also have identified the bees from early February (see picture below). :) They are honeybees. I sort of feel like a naturalist Veronica Mars with these mysteries I enjoy solving. I dreamed of running a marathon for the third time last night. Same thing as the second dream -- I had to complete tasks before I could start the race, and I was in last place again. With the binoculars, I could see the birds and the squirrels eating the seeds of various trees.
Time: 125 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 3.56 km (2.2 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=46418
Total Distance For Year: 174.1 km (107.9 mi)
Weight (after run): 80 kg (176.4 lbs), 19% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Stupid muscles behind my knees keep getting a bit sore, like I am not warming them up properly. :P
Foods eaten today: roasted garlic and vegetable pizza (405 cal), cinnamon-raisin rolls (300 cal), southwestern-salad (110 cal)




Update, 2006-03-04: How coincidentally funny -- the birds and the bees. :) Glad I'm on top of my subconscious blogging. ;)

Registered for Sacramento River City Run 5K

Like the other 5K races I registered for in early February, this race will serve as my final pre-marathon performance predictor (say it five times fast ;) using Galloway's prediction chart.

The folks at River City Run have a new web site:
http://www.rivercityrun.org

And they updated the logo :)


Weird web site...all the text is locked into an images. :P Easy to publish, but not accessibility-friendly.

Running journal, Wednesday, 2006-03-01

Running journal, Wednesday, 2006-03-01
Resting heart rate: 57 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Wednesday
Date: 2006-03-01
Weather: Mostly sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 18.89 C (66 F)
Time: 13:15-14:00
Terrain: mostly flat with mild hills
Comments: Beautiful running day. Saw butterflies and heard crickets for the first time this year. A vulture flew very close over my head. Many people biking today, but only a handful of other joggers. I am not feeling the same sense of community on the Pioneer Express trail that I felt along the Jedediah Smith trail, probably due to the reduced number of joggers. I noticed the large quantity of wood chips again today, and wondered if, after the fire destroyed the trees, the park service mulched the branches which fell across the trail. It would make sense if they brought a wood chipper on the trail and then blew the wood chips onto the side of the trail. The only bit that doesn't fit is that I see lots of wood chips farther back off the trail too. They are only near the trees damaged by fire. Hmm. It seems to remain a partial mystery. Picked up a few pieces of trash on the return trip. On the way across the Hazel Bridge I passed a cute woman who smiled at me after I said hello. :) That made my day and I enjoyed the feeling of connecting with one other person who seemed to be enjoying their exercise. :) Walked inside the fish hatchery tank area for the second time, and saw a sign that states the hatchery raises Chinook salmon and Steelhead in the tanks. So that solves that mystery. None of the tanks A-F had fish, although some had water bubbling up. I saw the access point where the employees use a heavy metal bar to open and close the water pipe for each tank. It seems that the primary job of fish hatchery employees is hydraulic tank-spraying. ;) They seem to do this every time I visit, which is a good thing, for the fish. As I walked out of the hatchery area, I saw a blond woman next to a SUV with lettering reading, "FitToRun.com" on the rear window. It turns out this was Julie Fingar, winner of several 100-mile Ultra-Marathons. :) The web site says she ran her first marathon in 1998. Oh, also, on the way to the Nimbus Fish Hatchery, on Gold Country Boulevard, I was passed by one black and one red Porsche. This confirms my suspicion that this is a chi-chi area. My thought the other day as I drove home was how people differentiate themselves with a name like "Maidu Village," when their house looks just like every other house in every other village on Gold Country Boulevard. This is my superficial impression as I pass their homes. I am sure they are spacious, functional, modern homes, with security, high-income neighbors, and they differ from one another in various ways I am ignorant of. I am just saying I would prefer to live in a home that has more uniqueness.
Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 6.9 km (4.3 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=44327
Total Distance For Year: 170.5 km (105.7 mi)
Weight (after run): 79 kg (174.20 lbs), 21% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Right shoulder near the end felt irritated, perhaps I am holding it too tense. Running up the embankment to the overpass at the end, my left muscles behind the knee felt a bit sore, but the feeling stopped after I walked
Foods eaten today: apple-cinnamon cereal, soy milk, veggie chili, olives, roasted garlic and vegetable pizza

NYC Marathon Registration Roadblock

NYC marathon sign-up day is today, Mar 1, starting at noon. It has been on my calendar since January. So first thing I do today is log-on and start the process. I get all the way through sign-up to the payment section and discover the requirement that the expiration date on my payment card must be 07/06 or later. Unfortunately, both my cards expire on 03/ and 04/06. x_x And since the card companies automatically send out replacements 10 days before the expiration date (I called), and charge a fee to do it otherwise, I seem stuck without a way of paying on-line until April. :P Investigating mail-in payment alternative.

Update: Might not matter when I sign-up initially since it is a lottery application. Called the New York Road Runners office, and a representative said that the printable form will not be up for a few weeks. Ok, I give up. I'll try again when I get my new card in April.